| Overview : Egypt remains a low HIV prevalence country with evidence of a concentrated epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men (MSM). While the estimated number of people living with HIV in Egypt remains relatively low (24,000 by the end of 2020- UNAIDS estimates), compared to the total population, Egypt is reported to have the fastest growing epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA). This -coupled with the witnessed alarming trend in number of new confirmed cases by 25-30% annually - are worrying signs that point to a dire need for increasing investments to avoid further epidemic growth and a failure in controlling the epidemic.
Existing strategic information, IBBSS 2010, indicates that the HIV epidemic remains concentrated among PWID – 7.1% and MSM – 6.1%. The prevalence of HIV among Street Boys and Girls was recorded at 0.5% and Female Sex Workers did not demonstrate any HIV among the ones who were tested, nevertheless, data from outreach programs conducted by Civil Society Organizations as well as from the Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers (VCTs) suggests that Female Sex Workers are a population at high risk and that there is gap in the strategic information among this particular population that should be addressed. There are, however, vulnerable populations
including prison inmates, migrant populations which have been identified for future interventions.
Despite the National AIDS Program-MoHP efforts to expand prevention programs and roll-out harm reduction related interventions among the most affected populations and scaling-up testing and treatment services, service delivery for Key Populations (KPs) remains minimal. Available programmatic information suggests relatively low utilization of prevention services among key populations and their sexual partners, which render them at high risk to infection (HIV National Strategic Plan 2022). This is coupled with highly prevalent stigma and discriminatory attitudes, and other human rights barriers which significantly impeding KP and people living with HIV (PLHIV) access to and uptake of available prevention, treatment, and care services.
Available, up-to-date strategic information for HIV/AIDS to provide an accurate epidemiological profile and to better inform the national response to address the needs of key populations and people living with HIV in a meaningful manner remains one of the most significant challenges in Egypt’s HIV response. Two bio-behavioral studies were carried out in the past. The first round of the Bio-BSS in was conducted in 2006 to establish a second-generation HIV surveillance system that provides baseline data for monitoring behavioral and biological information among Most at Risk Populations (MARPs) over time. The 2006 Bio-BSS has provided a wealth of information on the behavioral practices, knowledge of STI/HIV/AIDS and HIV prevalence among selected MARPs. The study results were an alarm to the practice of multiple risk behaviors and low HIV/AIDS awareness. The results of this initial round demonstrated that HIV infection, though low, has started in FSWs and PWID. It also showed the potential of HIV infection being concentrated in MSM. |
